Is The Pokémon Company Doing Enough to Combat Scalpers?
A Trainer's Tale from the Black Bolt & White Flare Drop
Alright, fellow Trainers, let's dive into the digital battlefield of Pokémon Centre pre-orders! Another day, another highly anticipated Pokémon TCG release, and with it, another frantic dash to the Pokémon Centre website. This time, it was the Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt and White Flare Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs) that had us all buzzing. These dual sets, packed with every single Unova Pokémon getting an Illustration Rare or Special Illustration Rare, were destined to be hot commodities – the kind that gets tails wagging!
Historically, getting your paws on these Pokémon Centre exclusives has felt like trying to teach a new trick to an old Growlithe. Scalpers, armed with their nefarious bots, swoop in, clear out stock in minutes, and leave genuine fans staring at "Sold Out" or "Unavailable" messages. The queue system feels like a cruel joke, a digital purgatory leading to inevitable disappointment, without even so much as a position number to keep us encouraged. So, when the Black Bolt and White Flare pre-orders went live, the community held its breath. Had The Pokémon Company (TPCi) finally figured it out and unleashed the anti-bot bulldogs?
The Goal: Elite Trainer Boxes for the upcoming Black Blot and White Flare releases.
A Glimmer of Hope: Could Stock Last Longer?
This time around, for once, the Pokémon Centre website didn't collapse into a digital dust cloud within minutes! These Black Bolt and White Flare ETBs actually hung around for hours! This is a significant departure from previous releases, where products vanished faster than a wild Ditto on the run. Many in the community saw this as a genuine win, a sign that TPCi's efforts against automated purchasing were finally paying off. Comments flew around Reddit suggesting that the anti-bot measures were "cranked up to the maximum" and that bots were "completely blocked this time." There was even optimism that increased pre-release quantities might deter scalpers by reducing their profit margins – a potential victory for the pack!
The dreaded Pokémon Center queue screen.
The Reality Check: A Digital Gauntlet for Genuine Trainers
But here's where the "fun" gets a little... ruff. If you were like me, you probably spent a good chunk of your evening in a digital purgatory. I personally endured a five-hour odyssey, repeatedly waiting in line, only to be unceremoniously "booted" as a "suspected bot" multiple times. Despite being a very real, very caffeinated human trying to buy cards for my collection, the system seemed determined to keep me out. It felt like being trapped in a Pokémon battle against my own browser!
My experience wasn't unique. Numerous reports from fellow trainers echoed my frustration with prolonged loading times, the website refusing to load, and the dreaded "boot" from the queue or even during checkout being reported across social media and community sites. One user recounted being kicked out four times after 45-minute waits, even after reaching the payment stage. Others faced outright IP bans, preventing them from completing their orders. It felt less like a fair queue and more like a digital gauntlet where legitimate trainers were caught in the crossfire of overly aggressive bot detection. Some, myself included, even resorted to measures like switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data to get a paw in the door!
While the "1 per order limit" on both boxes was a welcome move to curb bulk buying, the underlying technical issues overshadowed its potential benefits for many of us just trying to collect.
The Verdict:
A Half-Victory in the Scalper War?
So, is The Pokémon Company doing enough to combat scalpers? It's a classic "yes, but..." situation. They're clearly making efforts to combat the automated menace of scalper bots, and the extended availability of the Black Bolt and White Flare ETBs is a testament to that. This offers a glimmer of hope that genuine fans might actually get a shot at MSRP rather than resorting to inflated resale prices – a win for the whole community!
However, the collateral damage to legitimate buyers is still too high. Getting through a queue and completing an online purchase shouldn't feel like winning the lottery. TPCi has acknowledged past issues with product availability and committed to printing more and maximising production for future sets, which is a positive step. But the user experience needs a serious glow-up. The community is weary of scalping's impact on our hobby, with some even lamenting its effect on their ability to collect with their children. It truly impacts the joy of the game for everyone in this community.
Until the Pokémon Centre can reliably handle high traffic without turning legitimate collectors into digital pariahs, this battle against scalpers feels like a half-victory. We're making progress, but there's still a long road ahead before every trainer can truly "catch 'em all" without feeling like they're in a battle of wills with their own internet browser.
Here's hoping the next pre-order event brings us closer to a truly smooth and equitable experience for every member of our TCG family!
